A robust return in stocks was seen when trading resumed at the stock exchange following a holiday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing above the 45,000 level amid encouraging news flow from the International Monetary Fund. The index had a strong start and held onto it throughout the day, finishing the session with a gain of 934.1 points. The benchmark index hit a new all-time high of 45,563.61 during the trading session. The KSE-100 Index completed the trading day up 870.01 points, or 1.95 percent, to 45,499.46, its closing price. The number of shares traded and their value both remained high. Wednesday, industries such as banking (172.61 points) and cement (164.95 points) fueled gains in the benchmark KSE-100 index (108.41 points). This week’s all-stock index trading volume has climbed from 248.29 million shares on Monday to 308.19 million this week.” As a result, the value of shares traded climbed from Rs8.82 billion on Monday to Rs10.38 billion today. As for volume, WorldCall Telecom led the pack with 49.45 million shares, while Hum Network came in second place with 24.77 million and Byco Petroleum came in third with 15.61 million. On Wednesday, shares of 361 firms were exchanged, with 274 of them increasing in value, 79 declining in value, and 8 remaining unchanged. According to market analysis, the surge is due to a variety of causes. In particular, clarity on the appointment of DG ISI, news from IMF negotiations, and the latest current account deficit data which has decreased by 24pc on a monthly basis. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan had a current account deficit of $1.113 billion in September, down from $1.473 billion in August. In September 2020, the current account balance was $30 million in the black. On a monthly basis, however, the deficit has shrunk by roughly 24pc as trade balance improvements have aided the situation. When it comes to the bottom line, UBL reported revenue of Rs21.7b for 9MCY21 and an earnings per share (EPS) of Rs17.76, indicating a YoY increase of 39pc while QoQ revenue decreased by 9pc.